Each year, all eyes are on the class valedictorian, and everyone wonders where they plan to attend college and what career they will pursue. Southern Lehigh class of 2010 valedictorian, Zachary Feldman, went on to be a software application engineer at Workday, a company that builds enterprise software for HCM and financial management.

Feldman helps build the Canadian payroll software portion of Workday’s software, and he uses the proprietary software to code solutions written by the project’s managers. He is also responsible for writing automation to test the code he writes. His contributions range from changing tax rates and rules in the system to building out a new web service for tax filing.

“I love the perks of working at a tech company. We have extravagant company meetings, competitive salaries, break rooms stocked with snacks, and flexible hours,” Feldman said. “I also enjoy being in the center of all the latest software and technologies.”

One of the most exciting things he has experienced came from a work opportunity called “Sprint to Europe,” which allows employees to explore a foreign culture and understand the challenges of working away from home.

“You spend one sprint, four weeks, in one of our European offices. It was surreal to be at the beautiful Englischer Garten on the first day of spring with my coworkers for lunch break and then to experience Frühlingsfest,” Feldman said. “It was amazing to be able to live like a local: biking to work everyday in the city, learning a few German words to communicate at the checkout of the grocery store, and trying all the traditional cuisine.”

In high school, Feldman participated in tennis, National Honor Society, and Scholastic Scrimmage, and was also class president and band treasurer. He played the clarinet and oboe in the band for two years, the oboe in the orchestra for two years, and the alto saxophone in the jazz band for one year. However, Feldman now lives for the moment and not for the competition.

“Growing up, I’ve always been a competitive person, and I wanted to be the best at whatever I did, whether that was academics, tennis, music, or any new activity I tried,” he said. “Of course, the advice is not to ‘not try,’ but to enjoy more than just the competitive aspect of your activities.”

Even considering all of Feldman’s noteworthy accomplishments, his proudest moment was the time he delivered his valedictory speech, during which he referred to stuffed animal prizes he won from claw machines.

“I was so happy to have overcome my shyness to get up and talk in front of all my classmates. I was proud of all the hard work I had put into high school academics, too,” Feldman said. “I’ve never felt more encouragement from my peers than from the applause that followed my speech.”

After graduation, Feldman went off to University of California, Berkeley, where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering and computer science. However, he regrets not having been more adventurous.

“I was very happy to be playing tennis with my spare time in college, but I should have branched out even more while I had the chance,” he said. “It’s much more difficult to experiment with new hobbies now compared to back in school. At college, there are so many resources and people that can help you find your passion, which you can carry with you throughout your lifetime.”

Feldman wishes that he could do his freshman year of college over again, taking an easier workload and putting more effort into making new friends.

“I did not do well academically freshman year, and I think a big part of that was thinking I’d be able to handle a full schedule of technical courses,” Feldman said. “I should have taken my time and given myself the chance to not only adjust to the much higher difficulty level, but also get used to college life.”

Feldman advises high school seniors to spend as much time as possible with family and friends before going to college.

“If there was one part of my life that I wish I could do over just so that I could experience it again, it’d probably be the summer between high school and college,” Feldman said. “I had nothing to worry about, and I was surrounded by my favorite people. I’d live through that summer again just to make sure I cherished every moment.”